Blomkamp takes aim at resurrecting Alien franchise


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With the exceptions of George Lucas and the late Stanley Kubrick, no filmmaker has done more to popularize science fiction than Ridley Scott. His two greatest achievements, Alien and Blade Runner, are universally acknowledged as classics of the genre, pop cultural touchstones whose thematic and stylistic influence cannot be overstated. Both movies are due to […]

Leimert Park overflows with community and culture


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Leimert Park began and ended differently than all of my other column adventures thus far.  Usually, I have a specific place or event to write about, somewhere I’ve been before or extensively heard about. This week was slightly different.  There was no specific place or event I wanted to feature, just a general area I’d […]

Skrillex, Diplo unite for impressive EDM album


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If you’ve listened to the radio at all in the last few years, you’ve probably heard the names Diplo and Skrillex. The two DJs are among the most influential artists in their genre, with a slew of accomplishments, and their collaborative project, Jack Ü, furthers their influence in electronic dance music. Their first album as […]

Entertainment world is ready for a female Sherlock Holmes


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A little more than a month ago, FOX debuted its newest pilot Backstrom, starring Rainn Wilson in a role entirely different from that of his Dwight Schrute in NBC’s comedy The Office. In the show, Wilson plays Det. Lt. Everett Backstrom, a genius detective in Portland, Oregon. On the poster, Wilson’s character is billed as “BRILLIANT […]

Power Rangers fan film morphs into copyright issue


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Any ’90s kid worth their Salt-N-Pepa remembers the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, the color-coordinated team of teenage martial artists who used the powers of friendship, multiculturalism and their giant robot Megazord to battle an ever-expanding cadre of intergalactic baddies every Saturday morning on Fox Kids. Now, more than two decades after their first adventure, the […]

Big Sean finds promised land with Paradise


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In hip-hop today, there are many artists who seem to release hit singles solely because of the novelty of the song. While this may just be a transitionary period in hip-hop, it seems as though there are only a few artists making real music these days. There is one artist, however, leading a new generation […]

Study abroad tests life skills


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I was never the person who dreamed about going abroad. I never fantasized about developing a British accent or hopping on a plane for a weekend trip to Sweden. No, I was content with being a USC student basking in the 80-degree weather and eating lunch at the Campus Center nearly every day. Therefore, when I […]

Farcical Razzies help to balance overly serious Oscars


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With all the attention paid to the Oscars this weekend, it was easy to miss the other award show that took place. The 35th Annual Golden Raspberry Awards gave out its recognitions to the worst movies of the year. Started in 1981 by copywriter and publicist John J. B. Wilson to “honor” the very worst […]

The Oscar race narrows ahead of Sunday’s broadcast


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The 87th Academy Awards are only three days away, and the suspense is beginning to build into a battle of “wills.” Will Richard Linklater’s tender coming-of-age story Boyhood win the night as many analysts are predicting, or will Alejandro González Iñárritu’s surreal showbiz satire Birdman fly off with the top prize clutched in its talons? […]